The ICT ministry has been sued for allegedly hiring a foreign consultant without following due process. Chirag Patel, an Indian, was hired on August 1 as a research and policy adviser for five months.

In an urgent application filed at the High Court yesterday, Edwin Wangoya said in hiring the expert, the ministry violated the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, a government circular on issuance of work permits to expatriates and the Fair Administration Act.

Wangoya said giving Patel the job, yet there are qualified Kenyans, was unreasonable and unfair.

Through his lawyer Andrew Ombwayo, he accuses the ministry of failing to engage in a competitive recruitment process to attract the most qualified persons for the job locally. Wangoya also accuses the ministry of not engaging in an open, transparent and competitive procurement process.

This comes at a time when unemployment rate has increased tremendously.